Imagination Creates Ford's Most Engaging Experiential Environment to Date at the 2010 North American International Auto Show

DETROIT, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagination, the global brand communications agency, has created an unprecedented array of hands-on, virtual, and digital experiences to greet visitors to the expansive Ford environment at the North American International Auto Show when it opens to the public on Saturday, January 16.

Visitors who opt to enjoy all of the experiences at the Ford exhibit will find they can spend over three hours learning about the company's outstanding range of vehicles.  The experience will continue at home, where visitors can log on to a website to download unique souvenirs they create on the show floor.  With the exception of the vehicles, everything visitors see, hear, and experience has been created by Imagination, Ford's global auto show experience partner.

Among the highlights at the show:

• Choreographed assembly line robots will bring Ford's green and innovation stories to life, demonstrating to visitors the precision engineering that ensures Ford EcoBoost engines deliver greater power and consume less gas.
• Visitors can try Ford's "self-parking cars" in person, experiencing how Active Park Assist™ offers faultless parallel parking without a human hand touching the steering wheel.
• The Next-Generation Ford Focus will have its world premiere, and visitors can interact with a range of experiences that demonstrate the new vehicle's outstanding driving dynamics, and animate its techno-talented nature.

"This is Ford's biggest – and most complex and engaging – environment EVER," said Paul Martin, Imagination's Creative Lead for Ford in The Americas.  "It's been a year in the planning, and we've drawn on Imagination's staff around the world to create the 24 all-new interactive experiences, and ensure that visitors want to spend a lot of time with Ford."

Each of the exhibits is designed to unpack key reasons why Ford vehicles outpace the competition, and engage visitors with fun demonstrations.  Visitors will learn about otherwise dry subjects without, in many cases, realizing that they're learning.  The importance of torque, for example, is imparted via an arm-wrestling interactive experience.

"Research from previous auto shows indicates that visitors to the Ford experience have left with significantly improved perceptions of the company and significantly greater intentions of buying a Ford," said Matt O'Mara, General Manager of Imagination's Detroit office.  "Everything we do is dedicated to changing attitudes and intentions – and ultimately, driving sales."

Whether a visitor's favorite Ford is a Fusion Hybrid (Motor Trend's Car of the Year), F-150 (the US's best-selling vehicle), or the all-new Fiesta (Europe's best-selling vehicle, available in the US this Spring), the incredible animation surrounding each vehicle will help them discover one more reason to love it.

"We've brought each vehicle to life in brand new, never-before-seen, ways," said Darrell Bryja, Ford's head of Global Auto Shows.  "America knows that Ford is the most innovative auto manufacturer, and we have to step up to, and surpass, that expectation.  I don't think any visitor will be disappointed.  Ford doesn't have a display – it offers a full-on, multi-sensory experience that engages our visitors."

He added, "Auto shows are a cost-effective way for us to reach Ford's diverse audiences.  We invest in this unique brand communication channel because we can see the return on our investment."

"We've taken the expert knowledge of Ford engineers and designers, and allied that with our expertise in experiential – and, interestingly, retail – design to create a coherent explanation of what Ford offers today," said Andrew Horberry, Strategy Director for Imagination.  "And we've built 'stickiness' into the experience: visitors may arrive wanting to see just one or two specific Ford products.  What they'll discover will convince them to learn more about a greater range."

About Imagination

Launched in London in 1968, Imagination is a global brand communications agency whose roots lie in non-traditional, live, experiential marketing. Imagination now has 12 offices around the world, and the full complement of specialists in-house, from brand consultants to architects, advertising specialists to interior designers, retail specialists and event producers to direct marketers and digital experts. This unique offering enables Imagination to approach every problem from broader and more unanticipated angles, build solutions from the ground up across all channels, and deliver insights aligned with the way people wish to interact with brands – not only face-to-face but in all mediums. Imagination's clients include Aston Martin, Guinness, oneworld Alliance, Disney, Ford, Johnson & Johnson, Goldman Sachs, and Shell. For more information, go to www.imagination.com.

SOURCE Imagination

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